Christopher b



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. Tobacco Cutter.

Patented April- 21,- 1868'.

CHRISTOPHER E. RYMES,.OF SO M ERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS; A SSIGNOR' TO ROBINSON 8.) HEARN, OF NEW YORK CITY.

Letters Patent No. 71,102, dated April 21, 1868.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, Cnmsrornnn E. Hymns, of Somerville, in the county of Middlescx,-and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Machine for Cutting Tobacco; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full and correct description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- A Figure 1 is a vertical central longitudinal section of the machine.

Figure 2 is a perspective view, on an enlarged scale, of two links of the endless chains, one of the'up'per and one of the lower chain.

Where the same letter of reference occurs in both figures,it indicates the same. part.

This invention consists of a self-feeding machine for cutting tobacco, as it comes in a continuous bar or belt from the pressing-machine, into uniform pieces of adjustable length, by means of knives attached to the upper one of a pair of converging endless chains or belts, revolving on suitable drums, the lower chain supporting the tobacco as it; passes under the descending knives, and being provided with rubber or other suitable substance, against which the edges of the knives impinge after passing through the tobacco, all as hereinafter more particularly set forth. 7 t

A common mode of cutting tobacco into plugs is by passing the compressed sliver or belt between a plain roller and one furnished with knives projecting radially from its surface. In this method the angle between the knife-blade and the plane along which the tobacco is moving is continually changing as the knife is passing through the tobacco, rendering the out edges rough. and irregular from the varying pressure of the knife upon them.

In my machine the construction is such that each knife enters the tobacco at right angles to its surface, and continues to descend through it in a vertical direction until it has completely severed it by a smooth and square out. While the knife is cutting the tobacco, it also serves to feed it through the machine.

The construction and operation of the machine will be more fully understood by the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, and,the letters of reference marked thereon.

A marks the base of the machine; B, the frame; C D E F, drums, turning respectively on the shafts a I) c a l, hung in suitable journal-boxes in the frame. Gr is a toothed wheel, attached to the shaft a of'drum C, and gearing into a simiiar wheel, H, .fixed on shaft 0 of drum E. The driving-power is applied by means of a pulley or other suitable gearing to the end of the shaft of drum C. The drums C D support and carry the upper endicss chain I, and the drums E F the lower endless chain J. These chains are composed of links Z, the peculiar shape of which is clearly shown in fig. 2. Their cylindrical projections are received into recesses, e, of corresponding form in the faces of the soveral'drums by which the chains are driven. There is an oblong rectangular recess in the outer faceof each of the links Z. Inthe upper chain I these scrvcto receive the knives k, which are keyed intothem. In the lower chaih they arc'iiiled with'strips of rubber, 1, against which the knife-edges come at the end of their downward stroke.

The upper surface of the lower chain J is horizontal, but the upper chain moves in a plane inclined to that of the lower, the shaft I) being higher than the shaft n. Thus, as the two chains revolve in the direction indieated by the small arrows, they gradually approach each other. On a line drawn from a to 0, their surfaces are separated by a space equal to the thickness ofthe tobacco to be operated upon, while, on a line drawn from 6 tool, their'distanee apart is equal to about twice that thickness, or to the thickness of the tbbacco added to the depth of the knife. The course of the tobacco, in entering and passing through the machine, is indicated by the long arrow.

The two chains are so arranged in relation to each other that, where they are nearest together, the recesses in the links of the upper chain are directly over and opposite to those in the corresponding links of the lower chain. This relation is clearly illustrated in fig. 2, where the links are shown in the positions they occupy when the knife has passed entirely through the tobacco and its edge has come into contact with the rubber r. The position of the knife-edge, in relation to the face of the rubber,'can be changed when desired by altering the mode of keying the knife in its recess, and, as the rubbers wear, either chain can be so shifted as to bring a new rubber under each knife, so that the wear shall'be equally distributed.

The length of;'tl1e links and the distance between the recesses are so calculated that the knives "can be set in them at such distances apart as'to cut plugs of all the various lengths that may be required by the trade. The operation is as follows: Power being applied to gear-wheel G, motion is imparted to the drums C D E F, and the chains are revolved in the direction indicated by the small arrows. lhe tobacco to be cut enters 'in the direction of the large arrow, supported by the upper surface of chain J. It first comes under and in contact with the edge of a knife, 70, when'it reaches the position which would be marked by a line drawn from b to 01. As the chainsfurther converge after passing that point, the knife continues to enter thetobacco, always in a vertical plane relatively to the tobacco moving with it, until, at the position indicated by a line from a toe, it has sever ed'the bar. While the knife is entering the tobacco, it is at the same time carrying it along with it through the machine, which is thus rendered self-feeding. The horizontal movemcnt'of the knives and of the tobacco being thus simultaneous and uniform, is disregarded in considering their relative movements;

and it is in this sense that the term vertical" is used to describe the direction of the knives in their passagethrough the tobacco.

It will be observed that the links are united by the square joints; commonly known as chaise"-joints[ It results from their use that even if the chains are not quite tight upon the drums, but have a slight tendency to sag, the upper surface of the lower chain, which supports the tobacco in its'passage through the machine,

- will always form one plane; and the lower surface of the upper chain, carrying the knives, will also form one plane when the knives are engaged in eutting the tobacco.

I do not confine myself to chains revolving on drums, as the principle of the invention may be carried out by the use of an endless beltfand I have contemplated, the' employment ofsuch a modification. The essential peculiarity is the convergence of the travelling surfaces to which the knives are attached, by which the continuous descent of the knife in a vertical plane, relatively to the moving tobacco, is'insured.

What I do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isv n y 1. A tobacco-cutting maehine,-in which the bar of tobacco to be dividcd'is passed between the rectilinear surfaces of two travelling and converging endless chains or belts, one of which serves to support the bar, while to the other are attached'the severing-knives, substantially as described. I I

i 2; Attaching the knives of a tobacco-cutting machine to one of two travelling and converging planes, so that the plane of the knife, while passing through the tobacco, shall, in every position, be parallel to its plane in every other position while sopassing, and thus a square and smooth cut be secured, as specified.

3. The links Z, constructed, arranged, and operating as described and shown.

4:. The combination of a knife with one or more of thelinks of an endless chain, as specified.

The above spccification'of my said invcntion signcdand witnessed at Boston, this 19th dayof February,

' CHRISTOPHER E'. RYMES.

Witnesses:

Jonn B. ROBINSON, Guns. F. Smnsizunr. 

